JP6221212B2 - Projector and projector control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a projector and a projector control method.

Conventionally, a projector using a discharge lamp such as a high-pressure mercury lamp as a light source of a projector is known. Some projectors of this type have various types of discharge lamps by changing the current supplied to the discharge lamp by changing the operation mode that regulates the power supplied to the discharge lamp, the current waveform, the frequency of the alternating current, etc. There are some which can be turned on under various conditions (for example, see Patent Document 1 ). For example, the projector described in Patent Document 1 changes the frequency and current of a rectangular wave current supplied to the lamp in order to suppress flicker.

Japanese Patent No. 3794415

The projector described in Patent Document 1 attempts to suppress the occurrence of flicker by increasing the electrode temperature by executing a high power mode in which the lamp current is increased. Turning on the discharge lamp in such an operation mode can be expected to improve the performance as a light source such as an increase in the amount of light, but it is disadvantageous in terms of durability because it affects the electrode gap and the electrode shape.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and a projector capable of achieving both improvement in performance as a light source and improvement in durability by controlling lighting of a discharge lamp, and a projector It is an object to provide a control method.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a discharge lamp, a discharge lamp driving unit that supplies a driving current for driving the discharge lamp to the discharge lamp, a timer unit that counts a lighting time of the discharge lamp, A control unit that controls the discharge lamp driving unit to select and execute one of a plurality of operation modes having different driving currents output to the discharge lamp, and the control unit counts by the timer unit The operation mode is selected based on the lighting time.
According to the present invention, since the plurality of operation modes for lighting the discharge lamp are controlled based on the lighting time of the discharge lamp, for example, the frequency and time for executing the operation mode for increasing the light quantity of the discharge lamp are appropriately adjusted. In addition, by combining appropriately with an operation mode for restoring the electrode gap or electrode shape of the discharge lamp, it is possible to achieve both improvement in performance as a light source and improvement in durability.

The present invention is the projector described above, wherein the control unit can cause the discharge lamp driving unit to execute a plurality of operation modes including a high luminance mode and an electrode regeneration mode. The regeneration mode is an operation mode for outputting an alternating current to the discharge lamp, the effective powers of the high luminance mode and the electrode regeneration mode are equal, and the electrode regeneration mode has a frequency of the driving current as compared with the high luminance mode. Is characterized by low.
According to the present invention, the two operating modes having different frequencies of the drive current output to the discharge lamp are combined and executed based on the lighting time of the discharge lamp, thereby increasing the brightness of the discharge lamp and The state in which the electrode gap or electrode shape of the discharge lamp is restored can be appropriately selected to achieve both improvement in performance as a light source and improvement in durability.

The present invention is the projector described above, wherein the timer unit counts a lighting time of the discharge lamp for each operation mode executed by the discharge lamp driving unit.
According to the present invention, since the lighting time of the discharge lamp is counted for each operation mode, the current output to the discharge lamp can be controlled by reflecting the influence on the durability of the discharge lamp in more detail.

The present invention is the projector, wherein the control unit selects an operation mode to be executed by the discharge lamp driving unit based on a variable obtained by using a lighting time in each operation mode counted by the timer unit. It is characterized by that.
According to the present invention, since the operation mode is selected based on the lighting time of the discharge lamp counted for each operation mode, the operation mode is selected and switched in more detail reflecting the influence on the durability of the discharge lamp. It is possible to achieve both improvement in performance as a light source and improvement in durability through fine control.

The present invention is the projector described above, wherein the control unit includes an operation mode having different effective power in a plurality of operation modes that the discharge lamp driving unit executes.
According to the present invention, since a plurality of operation modes including operation modes having different effective powers are selected and executed, it is possible to execute an operation mode in which the amount of light is given priority given to the performance as a light source. Durability can be ensured by switching the mode and other operation modes.

The present invention is the projector, wherein the control unit includes an operation mode in which the effective power is changed as needed in the plurality of operation modes executed by the discharge lamp driving unit.
According to the present invention, since a plurality of operation modes including an operation mode in which the effective power is changed at any time are selected and executed, the balance between the performance as a light source and the influence on durability can be finely controlled.

The present invention is the projector described above, wherein the control unit changes the instantaneous power while maintaining the effective power of the driving current output to the discharge lamp in a plurality of operation modes that the control unit causes the discharge lamp driving unit to execute. It includes a mode.
According to the present invention, it is possible to execute an operation mode in which the instantaneous power is changed while maintaining the effective power of the driving current output to the discharge lamp, thereby suppressing the influence on the durability of the discharge lamp and increasing the amount of light. it can.

The present invention is the projector, wherein the control unit includes an operation mode in which the frequency of the rectangular wave output to the discharge lamp is different from the plurality of operation modes that the discharge lamp driving unit executes. .
According to the present invention, the balance between the performance as a light source and the influence on durability can be finely controlled by changing the frequency of the rectangular wave of the drive current output to the discharge lamp.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for controlling a projector including a discharge lamp, which counts the lighting time of the discharge lamp, and based on the counted lighting time of the discharge lamp, One of a plurality of operation modes with different drive currents output to the discharge lamp is selected and executed, and a drive current corresponding to the operation mode is supplied to the discharge lamp.
According to the present invention, since the plurality of operation modes for lighting the discharge lamp are controlled based on the lighting time of the discharge lamp, for example, the frequency and time for executing the operation mode for increasing the light quantity of the discharge lamp are appropriately adjusted. In addition, by combining appropriately with an operation mode for restoring the electrode gap or electrode shape of the discharge lamp, it is possible to achieve both improvement in performance as a light source and improvement in durability.

  According to the present invention, since the plurality of operation modes for lighting the discharge lamp are controlled based on the lighting time of the discharge lamp, the execution state of the operation mode is appropriately controlled to improve the performance as a light source and improve the durability. It is possible to achieve both improvement.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the optical system of the projector which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of a light source device. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the projector which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the drive current supplied to a discharge lamp. It is a graph which shows the example of the relationship of the execution time for every operation mode of a discharge lamp lighting device. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a projector.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1. Configuration of Optical System of Projector FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an optical system of a projector 500 according to this embodiment. The projector 500 includes a light source device 200, a collimating lens 305, an illumination optical system 310, a color separation optical system 320, three liquid crystal light valves 330R, 330G, and 330B, a cross dichroic prism 340, and a projection optical system 350. And have.

  The light source device 200 includes a light source unit 210 including a discharge lamp 90 and a discharge lamp lighting device 10 (discharge lamp driving unit) that supplies power to the discharge lamp 90 to light the discharge lamp 90. The light source unit 210 also has a main reflecting mirror 112 and a sub-reflecting mirror 50 (FIG. 2) that reflect the emitted light of the discharge lamp 90, and the light emitted from the discharge lamp 90 by the main reflecting mirror 112 is irradiated in the irradiation direction D. Reflect towards The irradiation direction D is parallel to the optical axis AX. Light from the light source unit 210 passes through the collimating lens 305 and enters the illumination optical system 310. The collimating lens 305 collimates the light from the light source unit 210.

  The illumination optical system 310 makes the illuminance of the light from the light source device 200 uniform, and aligns the polarization direction of the light from the light source device 200 in one direction. The light whose illuminance distribution and polarization direction are adjusted by the illumination optical system 310 enters the color separation optical system 320. The color separation optical system 320 separates incident light into three color lights of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). The three color lights are respectively modulated by the liquid crystal light valves 330R, 330G, and 330B associated with the respective colors. The liquid crystal light valves 330R, 330G, and 330B are liquid crystal panels 560R, 560G, and 560B (FIG. 3), and polarizing plates (not shown) disposed on the light incident side and the emission side of the liquid crystal panels 560R, 560G, and 560B, respectively. Is provided. The modulated three color lights are combined by the cross dichroic prism 340. The combined light enters the projection optical system 350. The projection optical system 350 projects incident light onto the screen 700 (FIG. 3). As a result, an image is displayed on the screen 700. Note that various known configurations can be adopted as the configurations of the collimating lens 305, the illumination optical system 310, the color separation optical system 320, the cross dichroic prism 340, and the projection optical system 350.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the light source device 200. FIG. 2 shows the discharge lamp lighting device 10 together with a cross-sectional view of the light source unit 210.
In the example shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the discharge lamp 90 is a rod shape extending from the first end portion 90e1 to the second end portion 90e2 along the irradiation direction D, and is, for example, a translucent material such as quartz glass. Consists of. The central portion of the discharge lamp 90 swells in a spherical shape, and a discharge space 91 is formed therein. The discharge space 91 is filled with a gas that is a discharge medium containing mercury, a rare gas, a metal halogen compound, and the like.

  The discharge lamp 90 includes a first electrode 92 and a second electrode 93 made of a metal such as tungsten, for example. The first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93 are provided so as to protrude into the discharge space 91, the first electrode 92 is disposed on the first end 90 e 1 side of the discharge space 91, and the second electrode 93 is disposed in the discharge space 91. It arrange | positions at the 2nd end part 90e2 side. The shape of the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93 is a rod shape extending along the optical axis AX. In the discharge space 91, the electrode tip portions (also referred to as “discharge ends”) of the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93 are opposed to each other by a predetermined distance.

  A first terminal 536 is provided at the first end 90 e 1 of the discharge lamp 90. The first terminal 536 and the first electrode 92 are electrically connected by a conductive member 534 that passes through the inside of the discharge lamp 90. Similarly, a second terminal 546 is provided at the second end 90 e 2 of the discharge lamp 90. The second terminal 546 and the second electrode 93 are electrically connected by a conductive member 544 that passes through the inside of the discharge lamp 90. The material of the first terminal 536 and the second terminal 546 is, for example, a metal such as tungsten. For the conductive members 534 and 544, for example, molybdenum foil is used.

  The first terminal 536 and the second terminal 546 are connected to the discharge lamp lighting device 10. The discharge lamp lighting device 10 supplies a drive current for driving the discharge lamp 90 to the first terminal 536 and the second terminal 546. This drive current causes an arc discharge between the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93, and light (discharge light) generated by the arc discharge is directed in all directions from the discharge position as indicated by broken line arrows in the figure. Radiated.

A main reflecting mirror 112 that reflects the discharge light in the irradiation direction D is fixed to the first end 90 e 1 of the discharge lamp 90 by a fixing member 114. The shape of the reflecting surface (the surface on the discharge lamp 90 side) of the main reflecting mirror 112 is a spheroid shape. The shape of the reflecting surface of the main reflecting mirror 112 is not limited to a spheroidal shape, and various shapes that reflect the discharge light toward the irradiation direction D can be adopted. For example, a rotating parabolic shape is adopted. May be. In this case, the main reflecting mirror 112 can convert the discharge light into light substantially parallel to the optical axis AX, and the collimating lens 305 can be omitted.
The sub-reflecting mirror 50 is fixed to the second end 90 e 2 side of the discharge lamp 90 by a fixing member 522. The shape of the reflective surface (surface on the discharge lamp 90 side) of the sub-reflecting mirror 50 is a spherical shape that surrounds the second end 90e2 side of the discharge space 91. The sub-reflecting mirror 50 reflects the discharge light toward the main reflecting mirror 112.

2. Configuration of Projector FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the projector according to the present embodiment. The projector 500 may include an image signal conversion unit 510, a DC power supply device 80, an image processing device 570, and a control unit 580 in addition to the optical systems shown in FIGS. The projector 500 can also be configured as a projector system 400 in combination with an active shutter glasses-type stereoscopic device 410.

The image signal converter 510 generates image signals 512R, 512G, and 512B based on the input image signal 502 input from the outside, and supplies the image signals to the image processing device 570. The input image signal 502 may be an analog image signal or digital image data. When the input image signal 502 is an analog image signal, the image signal conversion unit 510 may include an A / D conversion function for converting the input image signal 502 into digital image data.
The image signal conversion unit 510 receives the first video and the second video as the input video signal 502 when a stereoscopic video signal in which the first video and the second video are alternately switched at a given switching timing is input. A synchronization signal 514 is supplied to the control unit 580 based on the switching timing with the video. Here, when a side-by-side format or top-and-bottom format 3D video signal is input as the input image signal 502, the image signal conversion unit 510 performs a first video frame and a 2nd video from each frame of the 3D video signal. The video signal of the first video and the video signal of the second video may be sequentially output by cutting out the frames and performing resolution conversion.

  The image processing device 570 performs image processing on each of the three image signals 512R, 512G, and 512B, and supplies drive signals 572R, 572G, and 572B for driving the liquid crystal panels 560R, 560G, and 560B, respectively, to the liquid crystal panels 560R and 560G. 560B. The liquid crystal panels 560R, 560G, and 560B modulate the color light separated by the color separation optical system 320 as described above based on the drive signals 572R, 572G, and 572B, respectively.

The control unit 580 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like (not shown), and the CPU executes each control program stored in the ROM, thereby controlling each unit of the projector 500 and performing operations from the start of lighting to the extinction. Do. For example, the control unit 580 controls lighting and extinguishing of the discharge lamp 90 by outputting a communication signal 582 to the discharge lamp lighting device 10. Further, the control unit 580 receives the communication signal 584 from the discharge lamp lighting device 10 and detects the lighting state of the discharge lamp 90 and the state of the drive current I supplied to the discharge lamp 90.
In addition, the control unit 580 controls the drive current I supplied to the discharge lamp 90 by switching and executing the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 as will be described later.
Further, the control unit 580 sends a control signal 586 for controlling the stereoscopic device 410 in synchronization with the input image signal 502 to the stereoscopic device 410 via a wired or wireless communication unit based on the synchronization signal 514. Output.
The stereoscopic device 410 includes a right shutter 412 that blocks the visual field on the right eye side of the user, and a left shutter 414 that blocks the visual field on the left eye side. The right shutter 412 and the left shutter 414 are controlled to open and close based on a control signal 586. Is done. By synchronizing the opening and closing timings of the right shutter 412 and the left shutter 414 with the switching timing of the frames projected by the projector 500, the user wearing the stereoscopic device 410 can view a stereoscopic image.

The DC power supply device 80 converts the AC voltage supplied from the external AC power supply 600 into a constant DC voltage, and supplies the DC voltage to the image signal conversion unit 510, the image processing device 570, and the discharge lamp lighting device 10.
The discharge lamp lighting device 10 generates a high voltage between the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93 of the discharge lamp 90 at the start of projection of the projector 500 to cause a dielectric breakdown, thereby forming a discharge path. A drive current I is supplied to maintain

As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge lamp lighting device 10 includes a lighting control unit 40, a power control circuit 20, a polarity inversion circuit 30, and an igniter circuit 70.
The power control circuit 20 generates a drive current to be supplied to the discharge lamp 90 based on the DC voltage input from the DC power supply device 80. The power control circuit 20 includes a down chopper circuit including a switching element (not shown) that is turned on / off according to a pulse input from the lighting control unit 40, for example, and a direct current Id corresponding to a ratio of an on period of the pulse. Is generated and output.

  The polarity reversing circuit 30 reverses the polarity of the direct current Id output from the power control circuit 20 at a given timing, so that the driving current is a direct current that lasts for a controlled time or an alternating current of an arbitrary frequency. I is generated and output. The polarity inversion circuit 30 is configured by, for example, an inverter bridge circuit (full bridge circuit) including a plurality of switch elements (not shown). Each switch element included in the polarity inversion circuit 30 is turned on / off under the control of the lighting control unit 40. Depending on the on / off state of each of these switch elements, the polarity inversion circuit 30 outputs the direct current Id output from the power control circuit 20 as it is, or inverts the direct current Id and outputs it. Therefore, the drive current I output from the polarity inversion circuit 30 can be a direct current or an alternating current having an arbitrary frequency under the control of the lighting control unit 40.

When the discharge lamp 90 is turned on, arc discharge occurs between the tip of the first electrode 92 and the tip of the second electrode 93. When the drive current I is a direct current, one of the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93 is an anode and the other is a cathode, and electrons move from the cathode to the anode. Here, at the tip of the anode, heat is generated by the collision of electrons, and the temperature rises. For this reason, an anode tends to become high temperature compared with a cathode. If the temperature of one electrode is higher than the other electrode for a long time, for example, the tip of the high temperature electrode melts excessively, causing unintended electrode deformation, and the arc length may deviate from the appropriate value. In the cathode which becomes low temperature, the melting of the tip becomes insufficient, and the fine irregularities generated at the tip remain unmelted, so that a so-called arc jump may occur.
Therefore, AC driving in which the polarity of each electrode is repeatedly changed in the discharge lamp 90 is used. That is, the polarity inversion circuit 30 periodically inverts the polarity of the drive current I, and the drive current I is changed to an alternating current, so that the anode and the cathode are alternated between a pair of electrodes included in the discharge lamp 90, and the above-described concern Can be eliminated.

The lighting control unit 40 controls the power control circuit 20 and the polarity inversion circuit 30 to control the holding time in which the drive current I output to the discharge lamp 90 continues with the same polarity, the current value of the drive current I, the frequency, and the like. To do. Specifically, the lighting control unit 40 controls the polarity inversion state in the polarity inversion circuit 30 to perform the polarity inversion control for controlling the holding time for the drive current I to remain the same polarity, the frequency of the drive current I, and the like. Do. In addition, the lighting control unit 40 performs current control for controlling the current value of the direct current Id generated by the power control circuit 20 by adjusting the pulse output to the power control circuit 20.
Part or all of the lighting control unit 40 may be configured by a hardware circuit, or the function of the lighting control unit 40 may be realized by executing a predetermined program by a CPU (not shown). Further, the lighting control unit 40 includes a storage unit (not shown). In this storage unit, for example, a holding time during which the drive current I continues with the same polarity, a current value of the drive current I, a frequency, a waveform, a modulation pattern, and the like Information regarding the drive variable may be stored. In this case, the lighting control unit 40 can appropriately control the drive current I by controlling the power control circuit 20 and the polarity inversion circuit 30 based on the information stored in the storage unit.

  The igniter circuit 70 operates at the start of lighting of the discharge lamp 90, and at the start of lighting of the discharge lamp 90, between the electrodes of the discharge lamp 90 (between the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93) breaks down and forms a discharge path. A high voltage (a voltage higher than that during normal lighting of the discharge lamp 90) necessary for forming is supplied between the electrodes of the discharge lamp 90. The igniter circuit 70 is connected in parallel with the discharge lamp 90, for example.

  Further, the discharge lamp lighting device 10 has a voltage detection function for detecting the drive voltage of the discharge lamp 90 and outputting drive voltage information, a current detection function for detecting the current value of the drive current I and outputting drive current information, and the like. It is good also as a structure provided with the detection part which has.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the drive current I supplied to the discharge lamp 90, (A) shows the waveform of the drive current I in the first mode, and (B) shows the drive current I in the second mode. Waveform is shown. The discharge lamp lighting device 10 executes at least two operation modes of the first mode and the second mode under the control of the lighting control unit 40. The operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 refers to an operation state in which the state of the drive current I output to the discharge lamp 90 is different. At least one of the frequency and current value of the drive current I is different in each operation mode. ing.
4A and 4B, the horizontal axis represents time, the vertical axis represents current value, the center of the vertical axis is 0 volts, and the polarity is reversed in the upper half and the lower half of the vertical axis. The current value on the vertical axis is shown as a ratio when the rated current value of the discharge lamp 90 is 100%.
Note that the waveforms in FIGS. 4A and 4B do not correspond to the high-voltage drive current I supplied at the start of lighting of the discharge lamp 90.

When the discharge lamp lighting device 10 operates in the first mode, as shown in FIG. 4A, the drive current I has peak powers of + 120%, −120%, + 80%, −80% in one cycle, One cycle is an alternating current of 0.01 seconds (frequency 100 Hz). In the first mode, since the electric power exceeding the rating is instantaneously supplied to the discharge lamp 90, the luminance of the discharge lamp 90 temporarily increases. That is, the amount of light that the projector 500 projects on the screen 700 increases. Further, in the first mode, since there is a period during which the power of the drive current I is lower than the rated value in one cycle, the effective power is within an appropriate range and is appropriate as a use state of the discharge lamp 90.
This first mode is suitable for performing projection that requires a large amount of light in a short time. For example, a stereoscopic video signal is input as the input image signal 502, and a left eye frame and a right eye frame are alternately displayed. It is effective when projecting onto the screen 700. When projecting a stereoscopic video in this way, the right shutter 412 and the left shutter 414 of the stereoscopic device 410 are closed when switching between the left-eye frame and the right-eye frame in order to avoid so-called crosstalk. At this timing, even if the amount of light projected onto the screen 700 is reduced, there is no influence on the user.
This first mode can be called a 3D boost mode because it is suitable for projection of stereoscopic images, and can also be called a high luminance mode because the discharge lamp 90 emits light with particularly high luminance.

When the discharge lamp lighting device 10 operates in the second mode, as shown in FIG. 4B, the driving current I has peak powers of + 100% and −100% in one cycle, and one cycle is 0.01 seconds. Above (frequency of 100 Hz or less) AC current. In the second mode, the power of the drive current I does not exceed the rating. In the second mode, the brightness of the projection light projected by the projector 500 onto the screen 700 is kept constant, so that the projected image can be used without any problem even if it is a stereoscopic image or a planar image. This second mode can be referred to as a normal lighting mode.
In the first mode and the second mode shown in this example, although the instantaneous power and the frequency are different, the effective power is the same. That is, the discharge lamp lighting device 10 can execute the first mode and the second mode by changing the instantaneous power without changing the effective power.

In the first mode, since the instantaneous power of the drive current I is large, continuing the first mode for a long period of time has a long-term effect on the shapes of the tips of the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93 and the electrode gap, The life of the discharge lamp 90 may be affected. On the other hand, in the second mode, it is not necessary to consider such influences, and even if the tip of the first electrode 92 or the second electrode 93 is deformed or the gap of the electrode is changed by the operation of the first mode, There is an effect to recover the influence. This is because when the discharge lamp 90 is turned on in the second mode, the tips of the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93 are melted under suitable conditions, and the shapes of the tips are restored to the preferred shape, and the electrode gap is also appropriate. This is because it is restored to a large size. Thus, since the second mode recovers the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93, it can be called an electrode regeneration mode.
Therefore, even if the tip of the first electrode 92 and the second electrode 93 is deformed or the electrode gap is changed by executing the first mode, the first electrode 92 is turned on by lighting the discharge lamp 90 in the second mode. In addition, the recovery of the second electrode 93 can be achieved, and the shortening of the life of the discharge lamp 90 can be suppressed.

  The control unit 580 controls the discharge lamp lighting device 10 by the communication signal 582, selects the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 from a plurality of operation modes including the first mode and the second mode, and discharges the discharge lamp lighting device 10. To run. That is, the discharge lamp lighting device 10 executes the operation mode by switching the operation mode according to the control of the control unit 580. Thereby, the drive current I supplied to the discharge lamp 90 can be changed according to the control of the control unit 580.

The control unit 580 includes a timer unit 581. The timer unit 581 is realized, for example, when the CPU executes a predetermined program, and measures time based on the clock of the CPU. The timer unit 581 counts the time during which the discharge lamp lighting device 10 supplies the drive current I for each operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10. This time can also be called the operating time of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 or the lighting time of the discharge lamp 90. In the present embodiment, the timer unit 581 counts the time for which the discharge lamp lighting device 10 executes the first mode and the time for executing the second mode, respectively. When the discharge lamp lighting device 10 can execute an operation mode other than the first and second modes, the timer unit 581 counts the operation time of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 for each operation mode. May be.
The timer unit 581 is configured not to reset the count value even when the projector 500 is turned on or off. For example, the CPU constituting the control unit 580 stores the count value of the timer unit 581 in a nonvolatile memory (not shown) when the projector 500 is powered off. For this reason, the count value of the timer unit 581 is an accumulated count value after the start of use after the projector 500 is manufactured (which may include an operation for a test in a factory). Further, when the projector 500 is repaired or the discharge lamp 90 is replaced, the count value of the timer unit 581 may be reset by a predetermined operation.

3. Control of drive current The control unit 580 refers to the count value of the timer unit 581 every predetermined time while operating the discharge lamp lighting device 10 to supply the drive current I, and obtains from this count value or the count value. The operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 is selected based on the variable to be operated, and the discharge lamp lighting device 10 is operated in the selected operation mode.
A specific operation example is given.
As a first operation example, the control unit 580 calculates the sum of the count values for each operation mode of the timer unit 581, and if the calculated sum reaches a preset time, it is associated with that time. The execution of the first mode is limited so as to conform to the ratio of the first mode execution time set in the above.

FIG. 5 is an example chart showing the relationship between the execution times of the first mode and the second mode in the first operation example. In the figure, the horizontal axis is the sum of the execution times of all the operation modes (total lighting time), the vertical axis is the execution time for each operation mode, (1) shows the execution time of the first mode, (2 ) Indicates the execution time of the second mode.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, after the sum of the execution times of all the operation modes reaches 3000 hours, the ratio of the execution time (1) of the first mode to the execution time (2) of the second mode is 1: 1. It is stipulated that
For example, until the sum of execution times of all operation modes reaches a predetermined time (for example, 1000 hours), the control unit 580 operates the discharge lamp lighting device 10 in the first mode when projecting a stereoscopic image. When a flat image is projected, the discharge lamp lighting device 10 is operated in the second mode.
After the sum of the execution times reaches the predetermined time (for example, 1000 hours), the ratio of the execution time of the first mode to the execution time of the second mode becomes less than the predetermined ratio (for example, 1: 1). As described above, the execution of the first mode is limited. In the example of FIG. 5, the ratio of the execution time (1) of the first mode is greater than 1: 1 when the total lighting time is 1000 hours. For this reason, the control unit 580 limits the execution of the first mode after the total lighting time of 1000 hours and sets the execution time of the first mode to be less than a predetermined ratio (for example, 1: 1). The ratio of the execution time (1) of the 1 mode is decreased to approach a predetermined ratio (for example, 1: 1). More specifically, the control unit 580 calculates the ratio (ratio) of the execution time of the first mode and the second mode when projecting a stereoscopic image, and the ratio of the execution time of the first mode increases. In the case where the second mode is selected as the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 and the change in the ratio of the execution time of the first mode is maintained or decreased, the execution time of the first mode is the first. The ratio is less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the execution time of the two modes. That is, when the execution time of the first mode is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio, the second mode is selected as the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10, and the execution time of the first mode is less than the predetermined ratio. Selects the first mode as the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, after the total lighting time reaches 3000 hours, the ratio of the execution time of the first mode (1) to the execution time of the second mode (2) is 1 1 is maintained, and preferable control can be performed from both viewpoints of improving the performance of the discharge lamp 90 as a light source and ensuring the life of the discharge lamp 90.

The ratio (predetermined ratio) between the execution time of the first mode and the execution time of the second mode is not limited to 1: 1 and is arbitrary. If this ratio is in the range of 1: 1 to 1: 2, for example, the shortening of the life of the discharge lamp 90 can be more reliably suppressed, which is preferable. Further, the predetermined time serving as a reference for the sum of execution times is not limited to the 1000 hours exemplified above, and is arbitrary. If the predetermined time is set within a range of, for example, 500 hours to 3000 hours, it is preferable because shortening of the life of the discharge lamp 90 can be more reliably suppressed.
In the first operation example, the control unit 580 determines whether the first mode and the second mode have elapsed after the “sum of execution times of all operation modes” obtained from the count value of the timer unit 581 reaches a predetermined time. The operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 is selected based on the variable of the execution time ratio.

As a second operation example, the control unit 580 restricts execution of the first mode every time the count value of the first mode of the timer unit 581 reaches a preset value. For example, in association with the count value of the first mode, the frequency of selecting the first mode at the time of projecting a stereoscopic image is set in advance, and the control unit 580 selects the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 according to this frequency. . For example, when the execution time of the first mode is 0 to 1000 hours, the control unit 580 always selects the first mode when projecting a stereoscopic image, and the execution time of the first mode is 1000 to 2000 hours. The frequency of selecting the first mode when projecting a stereoscopic video is 3/4, and in the case of 2000 hours or more, the frequency of selecting the first mode when projecting a stereoscopic video is halved.
In the second operation example, the control unit 580 selects the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 based on the count value of the timer unit 581 itself.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the projector 500, and particularly shows the operation in which the control unit 580 selects the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 when projecting a stereoscopic image.
The control unit 580 starts an operation of selecting an operation mode when the operation of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 is started or every predetermined time after the operation is started (step S11). The control unit 580 determines whether or not the video projected by the projector 500 is a stereoscopic video (step S12). When a stereoscopic video is projected (step S12; Yes), the control unit 580 determines whether the video is projected for each operation mode of the timer unit 581. A count value is acquired (step S13). Here, the control unit 580 acquires a preset setting value corresponding to the acquired count value of each operation mode or a variable obtained from the count value (such as the sum of the count values) (step S14). This set value is stored in, for example, a ROM or flash memory that constitutes the control unit 580.

  The control unit 580 compares the set value acquired in step S14 with the count value acquired in step S13 or a variable obtained from the count value, and determines whether or not to limit the execution of the first mode (step S15). In the first operation example described above, the execution of the first mode is restricted when the sum of the execution times for each operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10, that is, the total of the lighting times of the discharge lamp 90 does not reach 1000 hours. do not do. For example, even if the total lighting time of the discharge lamp 90 reaches 1000 hours, the execution of the first mode is not limited if the ratio of the execution time of the first mode is less than a predetermined ratio. In such a case (step S15; No), the control unit 580 selects the first mode as the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 (step S16), and outputs a control signal designating the first mode as the communication signal 582. (Step S17), and the process of selecting the operation mode is terminated. The discharge lamp lighting device 10 supplies the discharge lamp 90 with a drive current I that satisfies the frequency, waveform, and current value according to the operation mode specified by the communication signal 582.

Further, when it is determined that the execution of the first mode is restricted (step S15; Yes), the control unit 580 restricts the execution of the first mode in the current process and determines whether to select the second mode. (Step S 18 ). In the first operation example described above, the execution of the first mode is limited so that the ratio of the execution time of the first mode is less than a predetermined ratio. That is, the control unit 580 only needs to select the first mode and the second mode so as to match the set ratio, and therefore does not execute the first mode at all (selects the second mode every time). Not exclusively. Therefore, the control unit 580 determines whether or not the second mode should be selected at the time of executing step S18.

When execution of the first mode is not limited (step S18; No), the control unit 580 proceeds to step S16 and selects the first mode. When the execution of the first mode is limited by the current process (step S18; Yes), the control unit 580 selects the second mode as the operation mode of the discharge lamp lighting device 10 (step S19), and the communication signal 582. Then, a control signal designating the second mode is output (step S20), and the process of selecting the operation mode is terminated.
When the projector 500 is not projecting a stereoscopic image (step S12; No), the control unit 580 proceeds to step S19 and selects the second mode. Note that, when the projector 500 is not projecting a stereoscopic image, this processing may be terminated without outputting the communication signal 582 to the discharge lamp lighting device 10.

As described above, the projector 500 according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied includes the discharge lamp 90, the discharge lamp lighting device 10 that supplies the discharge lamp 90 with the drive current I that drives the discharge lamp 90, and the discharge lamp 90. A timer unit 581 that counts the lighting time of the lamp, and a control unit 580 that controls the discharge lamp lighting device 10 to select and execute any one of a plurality of operation modes with different driving currents output to the discharge lamp 90. The control unit 580 selects the operation mode based on the lighting time counted by the timer unit 581. For example, the control unit 580 appropriately adjusts the frequency and time of executing the high luminance mode for increasing the light amount of the discharge lamp 90, for example. Or an appropriate combination with an electrode recovery mode for recovering the electrode gap or electrode shape of the discharge lamp 90, thereby improving the performance as a light source and improving the durability. It is possible to achieve both the upper.
For example, the control unit 580 suppresses execution of some operation modes so that the ratio of execution times of some operation modes that affect the life of the discharge lamp is less than a predetermined ratio set in advance. The shortening of the life of the discharge lamp 90 can be suppressed. As in this example, the ratio of execution time for each operation mode is used as a variable, and the operation mode is selected so that this variable approaches a preset value, so that the operation state of the discharge lamp 90 can be adjusted more appropriately. it can.
In this control, since the execution of each operation mode is not limited until the sum of the execution times of each operation mode reaches a predetermined time set in advance, the high luminance mode is used in a state where the influence on the life of the discharge lamp 90 is small. Can be executed for a long time, and display can be performed with priority given to the performance as a light source.
Further, the discharge lamp lighting device 10 can execute the high luminance mode and the electrode recovery mode having the same effective power, and the frequency is lower in the electrode recovery mode. Therefore, these operation modes are based on the lighting time of the discharge lamp 90. By combining and executing the above, a state in which the brightness of the discharge lamp 90 is increased and the state in which the discharge lamp 90 is turned on and a state in which the electrode gap or electrode shape of the discharge lamp 90 is restored are appropriately selected to improve performance and durability as a light source. It is possible to achieve both improvement.
Since the timer unit 581 counts the lighting time of the discharge lamp 90 for each operation mode, the timer unit 581 reflects the influence on the life (durability) of the discharge lamp 90 in more detail, and controls the driving current I output to the discharge lamp 90. it can.

  The above-described embodiment is merely an example of a specific mode to which the present invention is applied, and the present invention is not limited. The present invention can be applied as a mode different from the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the discharge lamp lighting device 10 executes the first mode and the second mode having the same effective power according to the control of the control unit 580 has been described as an example. A plurality of operation modes having different effective powers can be executed, and an operation mode in which the effective power is changed at any time to output the drive current I can be executed.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration using three transmissive or reflective liquid crystal light valves corresponding to each color of RGB as an example of the light modulation device has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Without limitation, for example, a system combining one liquid crystal light valve and a color wheel, a system using three digital mirror devices (DMD) that modulate color light of each RGB color, and one digital mirror device It may be configured by a system combining a color wheel and the like. Here, when only one liquid crystal panel or DMD is used as the display unit, a member corresponding to a synthetic optical system such as a cross dichroic prism is unnecessary. In addition to the liquid crystal panel and the DMD, any configuration that can modulate the light emitted from the light source can be adopted without any problem, and the detailed configuration of other projectors can be arbitrarily changed.
Furthermore, the present invention is also applicable to a rear projection projector that projects from a side opposite to the side that observes the projected image, even when applied to a front projection projector that projects from the side that observes the projected image on the screen. In other cases, the application target of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Discharge lamp lighting device (discharge lamp drive part), 20 ... Power control circuit, 30 ... Polarity inversion circuit, 40 ... Lighting control part, 80 ... DC power supply device, 90 ... Discharge lamp, 90e1 ... 1st edge part, 90e2 ... second end, 92 ... first electrode, 93 ... second electrode, 200 ... light source device, 210 ... light source unit, 350 ... projection optical system, 400 ... projector system, 410 ... stereoscopic device, 500 ... projector, 502 ... input image signal, 570 ... image processing apparatus, 580 ... control unit, 581 ... timer unit, 582, 584 ... communication signal, 700 ... screen, AX ... optical axis, D ... irradiation direction, I ... drive current.

Claims (11)

A discharge lamp,
A discharge lamp driving unit that supplies a driving current for driving the discharge lamp to the discharge lamp;
A timer unit that counts the lighting time of the discharge lamp;
A controller that controls the discharge lamp drive unit to select and execute any one of a plurality of operation modes with different drive currents supplied to the discharge lamp,
The control unit selects an operation mode based on a lighting time counted by the timer unit ,
The plurality of operation modes include a first mode and a second mode,
The first mode and the second mode are operation modes in which an alternating current is supplied to the discharge lamp,
The effective powers of the first mode and the second mode are equal,
The frequency of the alternating current in the second mode is lower than the frequency of the alternating current in the first mode,
The control unit switches between the first mode and the second mode based on the lighting time . A discharge lamp,
A discharge lamp driving unit that supplies a driving current for driving the discharge lamp to the discharge lamp;
A timer unit that counts the lighting time of the discharge lamp;
A controller that controls the discharge lamp drive unit to select and execute any one of a plurality of operation modes with different drive currents supplied to the discharge lamp,
The control unit selects an operation mode based on a lighting time counted by the timer unit,
The plurality of operation modes include a first mode and a second mode,
The first mode and the second mode are operation modes in which an alternating current is supplied to the discharge lamp,
The effective powers of the first mode and the second mode are equal,
The frequency of the alternating current in the second mode is lower than the frequency of the alternating current in the first mode,
The control unit restricts execution of the first mode based on the lighting time. The projector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The first mode has a period in which the power supplied to the discharge lamp is larger than the rated power of the discharge lamp and a period in which the power supplied to the discharge lamp is smaller than the rated power. ,
The projector according to claim 2, wherein the second mode is an operation mode in which power supplied to the discharge lamp does not exceed the rated power. The projector according to claim 2 ,
When the sum of the lighting time in the first mode and the lighting time in the second mode is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the control unit has a predetermined ratio of the lighting time in the first mode to the lighting time in the second mode. One of the first mode and the second mode is selected and executed so as to be smaller than the ratio. The projector according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The said timer part counts the lighting time of the said discharge lamp for every operation mode which the said discharge lamp drive part performs. The projector according to claim 5 , wherein
The control unit selects an operation mode to be executed by the discharge lamp driving unit based on a variable obtained by using a lighting time in each operation mode counted by the timer unit. The projector according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The plurality of operation modes include an operation mode in which effective power is different from effective power in the first mode and the second mode. A projector according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The plurality of operation modes include an operation mode in which effective power is changed with time. The projector according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
The plurality of operation modes include an operation mode in which instantaneous power is changed while maintaining effective power of a drive current supplied to the discharge lamp. A method for controlling a projector equipped with a discharge lamp,
Counting the lighting time of the discharge lamp;
Selecting one of a plurality of operation modes with different drive currents supplied to the discharge lamp based on the counted lighting time;
Supplying a driving current according to the selected operation mode to the discharge lamp;
Equipped with a,
The plurality of operation modes include a first mode and a second mode,
The first mode and the second mode are operation modes in which an alternating current is supplied to the discharge lamp,
The effective powers of the first mode and the second mode are equal,
The frequency of the alternating current in the second mode is lower than the frequency of the alternating current in the first mode,
A projector control method , wherein the first mode and the second mode are switched to each other based on the lighting time . A method for controlling a projector equipped with a discharge lamp,
Counting the lighting time of the discharge lamp;
Selecting one of a plurality of operation modes with different drive currents supplied to the discharge lamp based on the counted lighting time;
Supplying a driving current according to the selected operation mode to the discharge lamp;
With
The plurality of operation modes include a first mode and a second mode,
The first mode and the second mode are operation modes in which an alternating current is supplied to the discharge lamp,
The effective powers of the first mode and the second mode are equal,
The frequency of the alternating current in the second mode is lower than the frequency of the alternating current in the first mode,
A projector control method, wherein execution of the first mode is limited based on the lighting time.

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